What would you do on your first Africa hunt as a new hunter?

Just started doing some research for a 2014 or really more realistically 2015 hunt.

I'm new to hunting. Just took my first deer this past fall. Been shooting for about a year and a half now; both from the bench and from sticks standing.

Surprisingly to me it seems that going on a plains game hunt in Africa might be the most affordable way to build up my hunting experience even though it is half a world away; a guided hunt in North America is far from cheap even after flights are considered!

My goal is to building hunting experience, learn to stalk etc. While I understand that other folks desire a trophy to take back home, at this stage, it is not something of importance to me. Besides, I have a non hunting wife who will not appreciate a mount in her house. I can see bringing back some hides so long as they can be re-purposed into tasteful rugs etc.

I'd like to hear from others where in Africa they would go and what game they would go after given the above background. Particularly interested in hearing from those who have hunted in different areas in Africa, multiple times. Please don't be shy about telling me about which outfitters / PHs you would recommend or avoid based on personal experience even if you would prefer to do this over a PM.

hi canoetrpr welcome to AH. for the type of hunting you want to start out with it really has to be SA, namibia or botswana , and taking mostly if not all cull animals. check the websites or ask the outfitters/ph`s on AH who operate in those countries what they can offer you. ozondjahe which is jeromes family place in namibia or kanana in botswana would be good places to check out in those countries. brickburn has done a couple of very good write ups on his hunts at both these places last year. in SA i wouldnt want to recommend any of the operators/ph`s who are on AH over each other, as i think they all could provide what you are looking for. enjoy you time checking your options out. :beer:

hey Canoe, this is the place to ask questions for sure, lots of people with lots of knowledge

I too am planning my first trip for 2015, and there are so many choices and animals to choose from it is going to hurt your head trying to sort it out. The way I am doing things is based on $$ once my Kudu is done, but then again a bushbuck and/or waterbuck is creeping in to the picture.

One thing I am also planning on doing, is a stop over in Cairo and do a 3 day pyramid tour, talked to the travel agent and really hard to beat the cost since your over that way anyway

You can do a 10-day hunt in either SA or Namibia which will give you a world of experience. Be up front with your PH as well. Most will be thrilled to introduce a relatively inexperienced hunter to their and our world. If I may make a suggestion, use an experienced booking agent. I have used Jack Atcheson and Sons for years and they are expert at tailoring a hunt for you (budget, time, game, etc). Euro mounts are an easy inexpensive way to go, and can fit into non-hunting decor or simply be stacked away in a closet. You never know, spouses have a way of evolving . I have hunted for at least fifty years and have exactly three actual mounted trophies. The rest are euro-mounts (half skull mount) and thousands of photos. Welcome!

“We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.”

hi canoetrpr welcome to AH. for the type of hunting you want to start out with it really has to be SA, namibia or botswana , and taking mostly if not all cull animals. check the websites or ask the outfitters/ph`s on AH who operate in those countries what they can offer you. ozondjahe which is jeromes family place in namibia or kanana in botswana would be good places to check out in those countries. brickburn has done a couple of very good write ups on his hunts at both these places last year. in SA i wouldnt want to recommend any of the operators/ph`s who are on AH over each other, as i think they all could provide what you are looking for. enjoy you time checking your options out. :beer:

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+1

Go through the hunting reports. See who the outfitters are. If they post on AH, read their posts. What does their personality seem like. Would you want to spend time with them. Check their website. Do they have all or most of the animals you want at the price you want. How about their facilities. If you aren't going to take trophies back, do they offer cull hunts at a more affordable price. Check their references.

Once you start narrowing it down feel free to post another thread on AH asking about them. The published responses will probably be favorable if people know of them. If people have had a negative response they may send you a pm in loo of posting.

All good advice given here. Have you traveled Internationally before ? If you haven't, it can be a bit of a mind snap for the first few days. Once the PH has met you, you are generally in very good hands and they will take over responsibility for all arrangements.

The only thing I can add to what is already been said is:
1) Decide on your primary target species. The one animal you most want to hunt. eg Kudu. Find out where they occur naturally. A lot of places have introduced game available that is not indigenous to the area. For me that makes it a bit artificial. That will narrow where you can hunt.
2) Decide how you want to hunt. Spotting game from a vehicle and then dismounting to stalk and shoot it is very common, however I have experienced pressure to shoot animals from a truck. Stick to your decision and make sure your PH knows this and agrees to it.
3) Once you make your decision Communicate with your chosen PH/Outfitter. They are not mind readers and it may seem simplistic, but spell out the smallest details that are important to you.
4) Once everything is in place and your plans are made, relax and enjoy the ride. Things will go wrong, it is Africa, but don't let that stop you enjoying yourself.

I,m doing my first Hunt in May,,a Travel agent who knows and has hunted Africa can be a great help we have a good one on this site,,I,m not a trophy hunter either and with the exception taking one trophy I am doing a Cull as was mentioned by Spike

Welcome to AH.
To get experience and plains game hunt would be perfect.

If you do not care about trophies coming back "cull hunt" might be the ticket.
Non trophy animals are cheaper and can be just as interesting to hunt.
Although, trophy hunting makes you chase a particular animal and that can up the difficulty quite a bit.

There are plenty of options.

You have lots of good suggestions already posted here.

Good luck.

A Legend in my own mind!"one hundred grains in the right place is worth a thousand in the wrong." Captain Brocklehurst

Forgive me if this is obvious but was I hunting in North America I'd be bringing the meat home with me pretty much regardless of cost. Obviously this is not feasible with game hunted in Africa.

How is the meat utilized when tourists such as us hunt in Africa?

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There are different scenarios.Certain areas the meat goes to the locals.In other instances the outfitter will sell the meat as part of the profit on the hunt,this will ussually be done on discounted hunts in an area where there's an available buyer.
We also use some of the cuts like the fillets and backstraps for dishes prepared in the evenings.

Forgive me if this is obvious but was I hunting in North America I'd be bringing the meat home with me pretty much regardless of cost. Obviously this is not feasible with game hunted in Africa.

How is the meat utilized when tourists such as us hunt in Africa?

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You will eat some of that meat or someone else's. Some outfitters actually sell some of the meat taken on hunts, others give it away as Mike said, but for sure ask to have some of the meat you have taken. Believe it or not not all outfitters seem to understand that the visiting hunter wants to eat game meat. Now not all do of course, some just want to eat the same dang beef and chicken they eat at home but thats sort of silly I think. You go half way round the world to shoot some strange critter, you oughta at least try the meat! I have on 2 of my 6 hunts had to ask for game meat. 99 percent of the game I have had there has been fantastic.
As others say, a good place to start would be RSA. You have more options there than anywhere else on the continent. Prices are the most reasonable for most plains game, but very high on some dangerous game. If fenced properties bother you talk to prospective outfitters about theirs. Most land in RSA is fenced to some degree, but many properties are quite large. Something one has to decide for himself. And as mentioned above, some places encourage shooting from the back of the truck others dont. Its a matter of perspective I guess. I choose not to, others dont mind doing so. One can get well into the weeds on a lot of this stuff and if its not something you have been thinking about for most of your life like most of us have, it may seem a bit overwhelming. But it will come to you. Good luck.

There is more to South Africa than just hunting. If this is going to be your first trip to the continent then why not start at the Southern tip and work your way North. Landing in Cape Town you can see some great tourists sites and do some wine tasting in the South African Nappa Valle, Paarl - Franschoek - Stellenbosh region. You can play a game of golf and your wife can go to a spa. Once you acclimatized a 4 hour drive will bring you to the heart of the Great Karoo and magnificent plains game hunting. On your next trip you go further North to the Mpumalanga area and do some dangerous game and go and see Namibia and Botswana. Your flight plan would be from the US to London and then to Cape Town. Once finished in Cape Town we drive up to the hunting venue. Rifles can be collected and stored securely upon your arrival and until you are ready to depart on the hunt.